This uprising was started by school children children several in their teams from the southern city of Iraq. One day in March rode on a school wall shop beauty -- -- Scott's own his own people want to topple the regime. Words no one ever dared speak in public the kids were rounded up arrested and reportedly tortured. That was the spark. -- like their fellow Arabs in Tunisia Egypt and Libya thousands and millions took to the streets against the dictatorship. They're right. Now we want to make me. -- -- -- -- -- -- The UN says that more than 4000 Syrians have been killed thousands more summarily arrested with a widespread reports of torture. As the uprising group president -- promised reforms dialogue and said his forces were fighting terrorists. Homes Syria's third biggest city became the center of the uprising. -- journalists tapped out amateur videos flooded the Internet documenting the brutality. The beatings shootings. What -- much of it far too gruesome to show here. A cartoonist critical of a side had his hands broken. Singer who wrote a popular anti -- song at his throat cut. In July we snuck into Syria from -- to meet with those who fled their homes and here. What is life like under president certainly -- comment that ugly so ugly and said that oppression and brutality killing. There are -- terrorist this man shouted. -- -- coming with their tanks and army said destroying our homes. Aside does have a big base of support here. Primarily among those in his religious sect in the business community. The biggest cities Damascus in the left though it -- few protests. Recently there's been a major shift in this uprising as more and more. Hundreds maybe thousands of soldiers have defected and -- the three Syrian army. The commander colonel Riyadh -- -- is in a Turkish refugee camp and spoke with the BBC. Or her rocker. We assure everyone that the president of Syria is finished he set. The Syrian nation is determined to bring this dictator down we met a Syrian defector in northern Lebanon along the border with Syria but there's a small and scared three Syrian army presence. He was shot twice in the legacy -- Now he's too afraid to show his face. Adam Holland were trying to organize our ranks and get ammunition said and we hope to -- here and attack the regime forces. For now these rebels are clearly no match for a sides' forces so as the resistance grows the death -- continues to mount in the world turns its back on aside the question now is. How much longer can the regime hold on. Alex -- ABC news -- masters.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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